PM’s cost-of-living push ahead of winter break
Anthony Albanese will shift the government’s focus to grocery prices, tax cuts, energy subsidies and vaping reforms to reclaim political ground ahead of the winter parliamentary break.
Anthony Albanese will launch a political recovery strategy ahead of the winter break focused on Labor’s supermarket crackdown, tax cuts, energy subsidies and vaping reforms, in a bid to reclaim electoral support.
Facing falling polls and pressure over the government’s economic, cost-of-living and energy plans, the Prime Minister will ramp up pressure on Peter Dutton’s nuclear power policy costings when parliament returns on Monday for two weeks.
Desperate to shift debate back to the economy, Mr Albanese will commit to a mandatory food and grocery code of conduct targeting Woolworths, Coles, ALDI and IGA parent Metcash to lower consumer costs and combat anti-competitive behaviour.
The government is also spending up to $40m promoting its revamped stage three tax cuts, which flow from July 1 alongside $300 energy rebates for more than 10 million households and $325 for eligible small businesses.
After being accused of failing to push back against John Setka and the militant construction arm of the CFMEU, the government will table legislation this week allowing the manufacturing division to split from the union.
The government, which will introduce the first tranche of legislation underpinning its Future Made in Australia Act, is also bringing forward its Vaping Reforms bill that has triggered splits inside the Coalition and Greens.
With debate on the legislation due in the Senate on Monday, the Coalition is expected to land on a position supporting a pro-regulation regime contrasting Labor’s blanket ban approach that critics say will fuel a black market of unsafe products.
Shadow cabinet will discuss the Coalition position on Monday ahead of a joint partyroom meeting on Tuesday. A majority of Coalition MPs led by conservatives is opposed to banning vaping outright for adults. Senior moderate figures are concerned about voting against Labor’s bill given concerns about children vaping and single-use vapes.
If the Coalition follows other Western countries in pursuing a regulated vaping market, opposition Treasury spokesman Angus Taylor could potentially bank up to $9bn over the forward estimates in his election economic policy.
Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said the Coalition’s “primary goal is to prevent Australian children from having access to vaping products and becoming addicted to vaping”.
Nationals leader David Littleproud pushed back against a “prohibition model”, arguing the approach will not work and will empower criminal gangs to profit from the illegal supply of vapes.
Nationals senator Matt Canavan endorsed a regulation model where vapes, similar to cigarettes, are sold over the counter to adults only. The vapes would have plain packaging, restrictions on flavour and no marketing, with the government collecting excise tax.
“We believe in a regulated model, in keeping vapes out of the hands of children and cracking down on poor-quality vapes that could be really harmful. I’ll be opposing the bill. I don’t think we should criminalise choices, if we allow adults to smoke there is no reason they shouldn’t be allowed to vape,” Senator Canavan said.
Nationals MP Colin Boyce said it would be too difficult to fight the tide of illegal vapes flooding into the country under a prohibition model: “Vaping is here in Australia and it’s here to stay, I think we should regulate it and control it.”
Liberal senator Gerard Rennick said he would not oppose the bill because he did not want to advocate for vaping.
“I accept there’s a risk in doing this, that it’s going to allow a black market to flourish. At the same time, I’m not going to go in and support vaping. I have mixed feelings, I don’t really have strong feelings on supporting vaping but … I’m not going to tell people what they can and can’t do.”
Health Minister Mark Butler urged MPs and senators to “do something meaningful and lasting about the health of young Australians”.
Ahead of parliament returning on Monday, Mr Butler said Labor was focused on “doing everything we can to help Australian households with the cost of living”.
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